Update: Wednesday, 9:47 a.m.
FELLSMERE — A Fort Pierce man told Fellsmere police Monday that he “chose the wrong town” when he robbed the Fellsmere Food Mart on N. Broadway Street, according to Police Chief Scott Melanson.
The man is in the Indian River County jail on $18,500 bond after Fellsmere police officers say he robbed the Fellsmere Food Mart Monday and took off with nearly $300 in cash.
The suspect, identified as Felix Arrieta Roberts, went into the store shortly before 3 p.m. and asked the cashier for change. When she opened the register, he lunged across the counter and snagged bills from the drawer, according to police.
A struggle ensued but Roberts was able to escape. The clerk was not injured. With the help of a motorist who saw the robber leave the store, authorities were able to track the 27-year-old man to a home on Grant Avenue.
Chief Melanson credited the witnesses and their valuable information for the police department’s ability to nab Roberts within an hour of the robbery.
“We had some good witnesses,” the police chief said, and help from the Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit.
Officers arrested Felix Arrieta Roberts after they found him hiding behind a dresser in the home. A white envelope with a dozen $20 bills was found near his hiding spot, according to the Fellsmere Police Department.
A single $50 bill was also found, on top of the washing machine in the same area as the dresser. Investigators also found a baggie of marijuana on the driver’s side floor board of Roberts’ vehicle.
Roberts faces numerous charges, including felony charges of robbery/sudden snatch and burglary and misdemeanor charges of shoplifting/retail theft, marijuana possession, and resisting arrest without violence, according to his arrest report.
A witness followed Roberts’s vehicle and an officer discovered the suspect vehicle parked in the driveway of a home in the 1000 block of Grant Avenue.
The homeowner told officers that he saw Roberts enter his home without permission and gave law enforcement permission to enter his house to find Roberts, according to the report.
Police surrounded the house and called in a K-9 unit from the Sheriff’s Office.
“He couldn’t get out,” Chief Melanson said. The K-9 unit entered the home and was able to apprehend Roberts without incident. The suspect was not injured.
The store clerk identified Roberts as the robber once he was in custody. Roberts declined to offer a reason for the robbery but did have a couple comments for police, according to Chief Melanson.
Along with saying he had chosen the wrong town, Roberts told officers that when he had seen officers armed with guns surrounding the house he was hiding in, he “was going to wait for the K-9.”
While Chief Melanson has credited the public for its assistance in capturing the suspect, citizens should not approach suspects or take physical action, he said. It is best for citizens to call 911 as quickly as they can and provide as much information as they have, he added.
This article originally published Jan. 12, 2:41 p.m.